Wii

The Little Orbit game publisher has announced Violetta: Rhythm & Music based on the hugely successful tween telenovela, Violetta. The musical rhythm game will immerse players into Violetta’s star-studded world playing as Violetta and performing hits from the hit television show. The game will launch in Europe, Australasia and Latin America for Nintendo Wii, 3DS and DS on 26th September, 2014.

Play as Violetta in the first-ever video game based on the smash hit television show! Featuring hit songs from the show’s star Martina Stoessel, players will experience all the excitement of a star performer with creative rhythm games based on both song writing and performing. Kids can play along to music videos on the Wii and 3DS platforms and as Violetta on the DS. Violetta fans will put their knowledge to the test with creative quiz questions from the entire Violetta universe!

“We are excited to bring the first-ever video game based on this wildly popular show to fans across Europe and Latin America,” said Matt Scott, CEO of Little Orbit. “The game will provide fans with a truly immersive experience as they become star performers with hit songs straight from the show.”

The Violetta TV show tells the story of a musically talented teenager who returns to her hometown of Buenos Aires with her father after living in Europe for several years. There she finds friends, discovers true love and a passion for music as she navigates the trials and tribulations of growing up. Each episode includes original musical numbers from diverse musical genres.

This year Activision has been teasing that this years Skylanders: Trap Team would let you capture Kaos since the very first reveal trailer.

The company has now made it official, with the announcement of a “Dark Edition.”

Just like last year’s Dark Edition for Swap Force, this years Trap Team’s will include dark repaints, but this year the major feature is the “Ultimate Kaos Trap.”

It will allow you to trap the series’ chief antagonist, when you beat him in battle of course.

The set also comes with dark Snap Shot, Wild Fire, and Food Fight, plus a poster, stickers, and trading cards. A different variation on the Kaos trap will be sold separately for those who don’t get the Dark Edition.

It will cost $99 not Gamestop exclusive in North America although a UK price of £72.99 on GAMES (is a UK exclusive) website for the Dark Edition, and will be available 5th October in North America and 10th October in the UK, on all the same platforms as the standard version: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the Wii and Wii U.

Today announced that EA SPORTS FIFA 15 is bringing football to life in stunning visual detail so fans can experience the emotion and intensity of football like never before, on Xbox One, , PlayStation 4, and new this year, PC, now fuelled by EA SPORTS IGNITE. Fans who pre-order FIFA 15 Ultimate Team Edition will receive up to £30+ value of FIFA Ultimate Team content including new EA SPORTS Football Club items and game celebrations.

With Emotional Intelligence, FIFA 15 models the emotional state of all 22 players on the pitch, giving fans a chance to experience first-hand the attitudes and personalities of the world’s best football players during a match. FIFA 15 players now have a range of emotions that evolve contextually throughout the game based on interactions with opponents and teammates. Each player has an attitude or feeling towards everyone else on the pitch and will react accordingly during the game’s events – frustration after missed passes, anger with hard tackles, and excitement when chances are taken are just some of the over 600 reaction animations that could tell the story of the game.

“We want our fans to feel the highs and lows of the drama that is football, and experience the emotional rollercoaster that plays out during a match,” said David Rutter, Executive Producer, EA SPORTS FIFA. “We’re now able to immerse you in the game and let the story of the match unfold based on new commentary, crowd activity, and the natural reactions of the players, which make every game unique.”

In FIFA 15, Authentic Player Visuals come to life on a Living Pitch where everything is alive and the turf evolves at every step, plant, or slide. For the first time ever, the FIFA development team utilized physically based rendering to bring atmospheres and players to life, further blurring the line between the virtual and real world of football. The new rendering works in combination with a new player model and rigging system to make every athlete look and feel athletic, lean, and true to their natural form. FIFA 15 is played on a Living Pitch where boots and hard slide tackles will leave their mark as each match progresses; players will get mud and dirt on their kits. Other visual details including animated LED ad boards, corner flag and goal frame movement, and realistic atmosphere conditions will keep fans immersed in the game.

“Visually, this is the biggest step the FIFA franchise has ever taken,” said David Rutter. “We set out with the goal of creating atmosphere, players, crowds, and pitches that not only look like they do on match day, but also feel like they do when you play or watch football it’s a level of immersion we’ve never been able to bring to the game before.”

Agility & Control builds on step-based locomotion and delivers an all new level of responsiveness and control to FIFA 15. Tuned player biomechanics cause players to react and move with balance and closer control when in possession of the ball. Precise steps and turns at low speed, and closer control at high speeds will give FIFA 15 fans more control and increased mobility when commanding players on the pitch. New stutters and strides let you cut, sprint, and explode out of turns, and run touch dribbling gives players’ personality that reflects their real self. A new ball physics system models ball movement depending on the spin and the precise contact with the ball. The accurate movement of the ball, combined with the control of the player brings a new level of realism to dribbles, touches, passes, and deflections in FIFA 15.

Off the ball, Man to Man Battles transforms defending in FIFA 15. Players now use full-body defending to separate their man from the ball, while possession tackles will reward great defending, helping defenders keep the ball close to their feet when a challenge is made. New shoulder barges, shirt pulling, and big fall physics allow fans to feel the battle making dispossessing opponents more rewarding than ever.

Opponents and Teammates in FIFA 15 now make decisions just like real athletes. New to FIFA 15, players now have short, medium, and long term objectives that they decide upon as a team and execute using Team Tactics. If a team is up by a goal, they might park the bus, or if they are down a goal, they might try to get it in the mixer to be more direct in attack and secure a last gasp winner. This, along with other Team Tactics and mentality choices, creates emergent and realistic gameplay moments that become part of every game.

FIFA 15 , developed at EA Canada, will release worldwide in September on PC, Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, and is available for pre-order now at http://www.origin.com and other retailers. A version of FIFA 15 will also release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita

Activision is set to kick-off this year’s E3 with a blockbuster lineup, Starting 10th June, at the LA Convention Center, the company will debut a new era for the Call of Duty franchise with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, while showcasing the newest innovative title from the popular Skylanders brand with Skylanders Trap Team, and the highly-anticipated Destiny. Both Skylanders and Destiny will be playable on the show floor.

“This year’s E3 has been years in the making for us,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “Each game we are showcasing is the result of our commitment to quality and innovation: our first 3-year development and our first new lead developer on the Call of Duty franchise in a decade with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Our biggest innovation since we invented the Toys-to-Life category with Skylanders Trap Team. And the result of over four years of passion, partnership and investment to bring Bungie’s vision for Destiny to life. I think this is the best slate in Activision’s history and I can’t wait for gamers to get a closer look.”

Activision’s E3 Slate Includes:

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Developed by Sledgehammer Games, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare delivers gamers an immersive and compelling narrative, jaw-dropping visuals and, for the first time in Call of Duty, exoskeleton gameplay that will redefine how people play the game. Players become the advanced soldier enabled with the power of the exoskeleton, an advanced arsenal of never-before-seen weaponry, new abilities and new gameplay mechanics. The first Call of Duty to benefit from a three-year development cycle, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is built specifically for the next generation consoles. The game takes place in a future setting that immerses players into an emotional journey with a new cast of characters poised to set a new bar for the franchise. The title is scheduled for release on 4th November 4 for Xbox One, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3.

Destiny

From Bungie, the creators of Halo, and Activision, the next evolution in interactive entertainment and an epic adventure unlike anything players have experienced. Destiny delivers a new way to play first-person action games in a story-driven universe, with a saga that unfolds through grand tales and epic adventures that immerse players in a bold new world filled with cooperative, competitive, public, and social activities, all seamlessly connected. In Destiny, fans become Guardians of the last city on Earth, able to wield incredible power and explore the ancient ruins of our solar system from the red dunes of Mars to the lush jungles of Venus. Gamers must battle humanity’s enemies and reclaim all that was lost during the collapse of mankind’s Golden Age. The game will be available on 9th September for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Skylanders Trap Team

Developer Toys for Bob, creators of the Toys-to-Life return with another exciting innovation with Skylanders Trap Team. The newest installment to the Skylanders franchise will reverse the magic of bringing toys-to-life, letting kids take characters out of the digital world and bring them into the physical world. In Skylanders Trap Team, Portal Masters seek out and defeat the most wanted villains in all of Skylands, pulling them out of the game and into living rooms by capturing them in Traps. Players can then send villains back into the game where they play as them to fight for good. Skylanders Trap Team will include the Traptanium Portal™, a new ring of magical energy that enables kids to not only bring their Skylanders to life, but also capture villains using the new Traps. Skylanders Trap Team introduces new heroes known as Trap Masters and will be available on 5th October in North America and 10th October for the UK for Xbox One and Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Nintendo’s Wii and Wii U. A completely unique adventure will be available on the Nintendo 3DS

Welcome to the new Skylanders game from Activision and Toys for Bob, But this years game is a little different to the past games. With Skylanders Trap Team they have reversed the magic by bringing characters out of the game, into the physical “Traps” that you can take with you, and bring life to the toys.

As always Chaos continues his Evil ongoing quest to take over Skylands, with his discovery of the legendary Cloudcracker Prision, a fortress built entirely of the magic substance called “Traptanium” that is the home to the Skylands most nefarious baddies.

Kaos starts by blowing up the prison, which releases the most wanted villians with this blasting shards of Traptanium to Earth in the form of Traps. It’s now up to the Portal Masters to recapture all the escaped villains by using the “Traptanium Trap” and then to defeat Kaos before time runs out!

Now Skylanders Trap Team introduces a newest idea with the most wanted villains in Skylands and then play as them in the game in the battle for good.

Here is the Water Traptanium “Trap” Here is the Life Traptanium “Trap”

The New Traptanium Portal with the new character called Snap Shot (Trap Master)

The game offers a total new addition to the game’s play pattern in the form of Traptanium Traps. When this new type of toy is placed directly into the Traptanium Portal, Portal Masters can then “capture” a variety of special villains from the game and magically transport them from Skylands into the real world.

If you watch the little video above you may see a few new characters

Here are a Few Key Features of the new game

Toys to Life, Life to Toys – Now you will experience a new level of Skylanders innovation through the Traptanium Portal, a new ring of magical energy which reverses the magic of the toys to life category by letting players bring digital characters into the physical world. With a built-in audio speaker allows players to magically hear the unique voices of the villains travel from the game into the real world Trap, and vice versa. Also the Trap also lights up in sync with the villain speaking, adding even more magic to the experience. If you look closely, you can almost see the villain trying to escape from inside the Trap.

Two Ways to Play – In Skylanders Trap Team, you can play as a Skylander or as capture Skylands’ most wanted foes and unleash them for good this time. Now it’s up to the Portal Masters to find these villains and capture them inside the new Traps that transport the villains into the real world via the Traptanium Portal. Once trapped, players can return the villain to Skylands as a playable character at anytime in the game. This new play pattern gives you the option to switch between playing as a Skylander hero or a villain at any time, creating fun and unique “tag team” gameplay.

With the new starter pack you get Food Fight and Snap Shot and two trap (Water and Life Element)

The Skylanders Trap Team Starter Pack includes:

Traptanium Portal – Place the Skylanders on the NEW Traptanium Portal and bring the Skylanders to life

All New Skylanders – The Skylanders each have their own unique abilities and powers

Traps – Defeat and capture villains in the Traps and then use the villains on the side of good

Character Collector Poster – Build the ultimate Trap Team – Over 60 Skylanders to collect and 40+ villains to capture

Sticker Sheets with Secret Codes – Enjoy stickers of your favourite Skylanders. Place the names and codes on the Character Collect Poster to track your collection. The secret codes can be used in the Skylanders Lost Islands and Skylanders Collection Vault Apps.

Trading Cards – Learn more about each Skylander’s powers and abilities

The Themed Trap designs adds a variety to the collectible Skylanders Trap Team experience. Each Trap is elementally aligned, letting players capture villains who fall under that element. For instance, when Portal Masters explore the world of Skylands and encounter a water villain, they can insert a water Trap into the Traptanium Portal to capture that villain, as well as bring that villain back into Skylands as a playable character who helps in the fight for good. In total there are 8 “Trap” for the game you can buy for it, but you can finish the whole game with just the starter pack for it. With each new trap added to their collection, Portal Masters unlock an exciting world of possibilities!

Meet Wallop a new character for Skylanders Trap Team (Trap Master)

Snap Shot (Trap Master) new character for Skylander Trap Team from the Starter Pack

New Character called Food Fight one of the new characters in the Starter Pack for Skylanders Trap Team.

Also meet Chopper a little dinosaur with massive fire power

Yes Chompy Mage is back and you can play as him when you beat him in the game

New Cast of Characters – With a brand new group of Skylanders, that are known as Trap Masters, lead the charge armed with their oversized crystal weapons in the fight against the most wanted villains and returning nemesis Kaos.

The game introduces more than 50 new playable Skylanders heroes, including :-

New Trap Master Skylanders like Snap Shot, Wollop and Wildfire and more still to come

NewCore Skylanders like Chopper and Food Fight

Reposed, fan-favourite Skylanders

With a total of over 50 New Skylanders.

Snap Shot

Wild Fire

Chompy Mountain

Phoenix Perch

Shrednaught one of the new villains in the game

Wallop

Food Fight

Snap Shot

Chopper in flight while attacking the enemies

Food Fight

Skylanders Trap Team features an all new adventure-filled story with fun and interesting new characters as well as returning franchise favorites. The game delivers a diverse and dynamic, story-driven gameplay experience, filled with adventure, combat, puzzles, mini games, activities, platforming, and drop-in/drop out co-op play all set within a variety of new compelling environments. With each new addition to their Trap Team collection, Portal Masters unlock exciting new gameplay possibilities within each level.

With the new design of the game you can switch between one trapped villain and one regular Skylander figure on the fly, adding a tag team like element to the Zelda style brawling.

If want to know if you can use you old figures, the answer is a big yes you can use the entire collection of 175 forward compatible characters from Skylanders SWAP Force, Skylanders Giants and Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure.

For this development of the game Toys for Bob are back and made the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii versions of the but Beenox did the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS. With all versions of the game priced at £64.99 only the Wii and the 3DS version priced at £59.99.

With a release date of 5th October 2014 in North America and the 10th October in Europe.

What do you think of the new Skylanders Trap Team, please comment below.

Disney Infinity has today announced the launch of the all new Phineas & Ferb Toy Box pack, including figures of the immensely popular children’s characters Phineas and Agent P from Disney Channel’s animated series “Phineas and Ferb.”.

Both character figures are accompanied by their own unique Adventures, and will be available for players to purchase from 4th April.

In addition, the third wave of Power Discs will be hitting UK stores on Friday, 11th April in blind packs of two – with new additions including Cruella DeVille’s car and Phillippe, the loyal horse from Beauty and the Beast.

The new Toy Box Pack features the immensely popular Phineas and Agent P characters from Disney Channel’s animated series “Phineas and Ferb.” Players will be able to embark on secret spy missions and defeat enemies with Agent P’s flying fedora or Phineas’ baseball blaster and tuck n’ roll moves.

Both character figures are accompanied by their own unique Adventures. In the Phineas Adventure, players are set into a giant pinball machine and challenged to create a play field where they can destroy waves of oncoming robots. In the Agent P adventure, players can participate in a top-down adventure with side-scrolling elements that pay homage to old school arcade games.

The Phineas and Ferb Toy Box Pack will also include two new power discs to give players’ Toy Boxes a makeover. The “Tri-State Area Terrain” Texture Set and the “Danville Sky” Sky Theme will provide players with well-known location backgrounds from the show, including the Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated building and a small waterslide park invented in one of the cartoon’s episodes.

Wave 3 Power Discs

Circular Discs

Chernabog’s Strength – A representation of pure evil from Fantasia, you can summon the demonic power of this villain to do 3% more damage

Rapunzel’s Healing – The magic of Rapunzel’s hair does more than make blonde locks continue to grow. Her golden hair has healing properties that can give a character 40% more health

Violet’s Force Field – The quiet daughter of The Incredibles can not only turn invisible, she can generate a force field that can reduce damage by 3%

Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat – The infamous and iconic hat from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice allows characters to gain experience at a 2% faster rate

Hexagonal Discs

 Cruella DeVille’s car – Jump in to the villain’s car from 101 Dalmations to chase after friends and foes

 Disney Parks Parking Tram – This vehicle can bring back fond memories of a trip to the Disney Parks. It provides the great comedic value of driving around a parking lot tram, especially when challenging fancy racecars

 Calico Helicopter – The cunning and merciless villain from Bolt is always surrounded by cats and its master strategist. Take control of Dr. Calico’s helicopter which is fully equipped with rockets to rain fire from above

 Phillippe – The loyal horse from Beauty and the Beast is the trusty companion and only mode of transportation for Belle and her father Maurice. The horse is loyal, but has been known to get spooked easily

 Tantor – Tantor often seems to be timid and even cowardly. However, the gentle elephant has a deep bond with his friends and is often inspired to acts of bravery

 Dragon Firework Cannon – The cannon from Mulan originated in ancient China and precedes modern guns as one of the first projectile-launching weapons

 Wall-E’s Fire Extinguisher – A rare toy inspired by a classic scene from WALL-E, it allows characters to use the propulsion from a fire extinguisher to hover in the air

 Wall-E’s Collection – Transform the Toy Box in to the desolate wasteland that the Earth has become due to consumerism and neglect

 Buy ‘N’ Large Atmosphere – The Sky Theme becomes a swirling dustbowl filled with empty buildings that are mere husks of their former glory. The most notable thing in the barren horizon are the numerous Buy ‘N’ Large signs

 Toy Story Mania Blaster – The toy originates from the Toy Story Midway Mania ride in Disney Parks. Unlike the Goo Guns from the Toy Story Play Set, this is a weapon designed to damage opponents

 Angus the Horse – The beautiful black Clydesdale from Brave is fiercely loyal to Merida. Although he can be stubborn at times, his strong bond to his owner allows him to be coaxed into almost anything

 Tri-State Area Terrain – A simple and subtle texture, along with a few gadgets, that is reminiscent of summertime when Phineas and Ferb create their incredible inventions

 Danville Sky – Turn the Sky Theme into the backdrop of Phineas and Ferb’s Tri-State Area. One of their greatest projects, a giant roller coaster, can be seen off in the distance. In addition, you can spot the iconic building of Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated, the lair of Agent P’s nemesis

NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S today announced the release of two special Nintendo combo-packs based on DreamWorks Animation SKG animated films. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and The Croods: Prehistoric Party! are now both available for a Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS pack, whereas Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game and The Croods: Prehistoric Party! are both available for an exclusive Wii pack.

Let your imagination soar in Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game as you play as the all magical, powerful, and immortal Guardians from the famous
DreamWorks Animation film. In Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, travel across Europe to promote the circus by completing missions, performing amazing publicity stunts, and dazzling the crowd with a mini-game based circus extravaganza! Finally, be part of the lovable Croods family in The Croods: Prehistoric Party! and go on a hilarious adventure through 30 unique and addictive party-style mini-games.

Angry Birds Star Wars are coming to your home and your hand-helds, Based on Rovio’s wildly popular, action-strategy mobile game, Angry Birds Star Wars brings the interstellar struggle between the ragtag Rebel Birds and dastardly Imperial Pigs to new audiences on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, Nintendo’s Wii and Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS. Angry Birds Star Wars is also planned to launch on Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on 22nd November.

“Angry Birds Star Wars brings together fans from multiple generations and across two widely loved fictional worlds” noted Jami Laes, Executive Vice President of Games at Rovio Entertainment. “The success of Angry Birds Star Wars is a testament to the versatility of these iconic franchises. As a company we want to be wherever the fans are, so we are thrilled to be partnering with Activision to bring this one-of-a-kind experience to console and handheld gaming fans.”

Angry Birds Star Wars marries the fantastic spirit, legendary characters and classic imagery of Star Wars with the accessibly engaging design and energetic gameplay of Angry Birds, thrusting players into a captivating, light-hearted adventure saga, featuring inventive challenges, tantalizing Force powers and a wealth of familiar faces and places. Twenty exclusive, newly created levels join the over 200 stages already available from the original mobile release of Angry Birds Star Wars. This latest version brings the flock to the fight with the introduction of cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, letting players team up or square off for high scores and galactic bragging rights. Moreover, this expansive edition exploits the unique capabilities of each game system to deliver a distinctive experience tailored specifically to each platform, including sharp and colourful, high-definition visuals (on HD-compatible devices), achievements and trophies, leader boards, voice command support through Kinect for Xbox 360 and touch-screen controls on Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita system.

The next-generation versions of Angry Birds Star Wars maintain these core features while introducing new play and interface elements exclusive to each system. The PlayStation 4 system’s adaptation makes full use of the DualShock 4 controller’s touchpad to offer precision, touch-screen handling, paired with full support for PlayStation Move in both single-player and local multiplayer modes. Players can also easily record and share their accomplishments with the world with the PlayStation 4 system’s automatic screenshot and video capture options. Angry Birds Star Wars on Xbox One also allows for automatic video capture and online sharing, while adding all the benefits of the system’s improved Kinect for Xbox One functionality, affording intuitive gesture and motion controls, as well as voice command support. The Xbox One iteration of Angry Birds Star Wars also includes unique, timed challenges that deliver fresh trials for players well after the game’s launch.

Angry Birds Star Wars is available now for Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo 3DS. The PlayStation 4 system and Xbox One versions will be available on 22nd November.

Ben 10: Omniverse 2 is the latest instalment out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Wii, and 3DS, November 2013. Players set off on an all-new adventure with Ben and his Omnitrix-powered alien forms as he battles against a new galactic threat, the Incurseans. Heading to Earth with his partner Azmuth, creator of the Omnitrix by his side, the two ventures into the Incursean’s intergalactic warship to try and thwart Emperor Mileous.

The Incurseans are an aggressive and technologically advanced frog-like species that like to go to war.

Frog Commando

– These melee enemies are basic foot soldiers that attack using arm blades. If you get too close, they can jump from any distance to get to you!

Frog Infantry

– Ranged enemies that attempt to hit you using special projectiles, using one of three elemental attacks. Close the gap and knock ‘em out with a couple of hits!

Toad Battler

– This hulking melee enemy has the ability to change Ben’s class! Be careful around them since they take a few more hits to defeat.

Toad Assault Merc

– Look out for a fast stream of lasers from this big, ranged attacker. Use a Light Class alien form to out-maneuver them and attack at his flank.

Dr. Psychobos

– An evil psychotic scientist serving the Incurseans – what does he have up his claw for Ben!?!

With Skylanders Swap Force released last Sunday (13th October) in North American and Europe on the 18th October (Tomorrow). As it only a few hours until Swap Force is released why not watch the Official Skylanders: “Just Like SWAP Force” Trailer (Extended) Trailer.

Embark on an exciting new adventure with the Skylanders and the SWAP Force. For generations, the SWAP Force protected the volcano that replenishes Skylands¹ magic. That is until an epic battle caught them in an eruption that blasted them apart, sent them to Earth and gave them the ability swap powers. Only you can mix and match their tops and bottoms, put them on the new Portal of Power and help save Skylands!

Ok let’s start at the beginning with Skylanders first before I get into Disney Infinity, when Activision brought out Skylanders – Spyro’s Adventure two years ago it was a huge gamble from Activision. The idea that players would buy a game and use related figures to expand the experience seemed too expensive and very risky since it would look like a money grab. Not only did the experiment work, but it also created a big franchise.

Disney is a juggernaut with its vast library of television and film characters which most people know. The game is split into two modes, each with different mechanics. The first is Play Sets, which takes the world of a movie or series and transforms it into an adventure with appropriate tasks. Though each play set differs in content and focus, the basics are similar.

You’re given an open world to explore with no load times, but the worlds are quite small, so don’t expect Saints Row type game. You’re free to do as you please, and there are plenty of side-quests to occupy your time. There’s also a litany of world-specific collectibles and achievements. Specific missions propel the tale forward, and they are the most important aspect if you want to progress. While the sets can be played solo, you can also play them in co-op. Due to the split-screen nature of co-op, players can play together or independently as long as they stay within the same area of the map.

Included in the starter pack are three play sets with three corresponding figures. The first play set is Monsters University with Sulley. Instead of doing an adaptation of the movie events, the game focuses on a nebulous time within the movie universe, so it’s spoiler-free for those who haven’t seen the film yet. The Monster University game begins at the start of Fear-it Week, when Monsters University and rival school Fear Tech compete in a series of tasks and games to rack up points. With school pride on the line, it’s be up to you to clean up the mess caused by Fear Tech students and then travel to their campus to create some mischief.

Monsters University is set up with a focus on stealth and platforming rather than combat. Though you fight a few Fear Tech bullies with toilet paper guns, paintball guns and a charge move, scares are your main mode of offense, and they are more effective when you sneak up on an unsuspecting target. When you aren’t scaring students, you’ll set up gag items that launch an unsuspecting student into the air, get him painted or send him down a sewer. Beyond this, you’ll collect stuff and do fetch quests, like painting over rival posters, dressing up students or getting rid of toilet paper and banners from your campus

The lack of dedicated combat limits the appeal of this play set, but it’s perfect for those who just want to goof off. There are lots of people you can throw for no good reason, and the focus on prank traps really opens up once you obtain more traps that you can chain together. There are even ramps and half-pipes on which you can perform bike tricks.

You won’t be doing anything complicated, but it’s a nice diversion. The variety of fetch quests keep the player engaged since the game spaces out activities before they start to repeat. There’s rarely a time when you don’t feel like you have anything to do, and when you consider the size of each location, that’s a good thing.

With Pirates of the Caribbean making up the second play set of Disney Infinity, and with this play set it provides an alternate take on the second and third films. Playing with the included Captain Jack Sparrow figure, you race against time to stop Davy Jones from obtaining the treasures required to rule the seas. You want the same treasures to stop the Kraken that Davy Jones controls.

The Pirates of the Caribbean play set has straightforward platforming action. You’ll solve light puzzles or jump from ledge to ledge to reach higher places or find hidden treasure chests. Swordplay is your main form of combat, and you’ll duke it out with Davy Jones’ crew. You have secondary weaponry in the form of pistols and bombs, but their reload times are quite long, so you have to mix things up to make your attacks effective.

With the upcoming launch of Skylanders SWAP Force from Activision on 13th October, 2013 in North America and 18th October in the UK, Activision has brought the world of Skylands to life for one special day in Times Square and invited fans to participate in the “SWAPtoberfest” event.

James Marsden awards a Skylanders SWAP Force starter pack to Ethan W. during the Skylanders SWAP Force launch event in Times Square in
New York City on October 10, 2013. (Photo by Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Activision)

Kids who visited Times Square on SWAPtober 10th had the chance to be among the very first to play the game before it’s available at retail this coming Sunday. SWAPtoberfest featured Skylanders SWAP Force-themed activities, photos with Skylanders costumed characters as well as chances to win a Skylanders SWAP Force Starter Pack and special Skylanders-themed merchandise. Adding to the excitement, actor James Marsden (“Anchorman 2”) hosted the event and joined emcee Zach Gordon (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” “Pete’s Christmas”) for the event.

Kids take in all the activities of “SWAPtoberfest” – a life sized build out of the world of Skylanders in the middle of Times Square in New York to celebrate the Oct. 13, 2013 launch of Skylanders SWAP Force. (Photo by Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Activision)

Available for Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 on 13th October and the 18th October in the UK and day-and-date for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Skylanders SWAP Force introduces an all new innovative play pattern – swapability – that lets gamers reconfigure the top and bottom halves of 16 new SWAP Force characters by mixing and matching their powers and moves into more than 250 unique combinations¹, and then bring them to life in the game.